Refurb Projects - November 2018

More documents

Recommendations

Info

HEATING & VENTILATION Who is responsible for taking care of mould? Dan Bourke, Social Housing Regional Manager at EnviroVent, looks at the issue of mould growth and whether residents’ lifestyles or other factors have a major influence on the problem. Mould is an issue that affects homes of all sizes and build types during the colder months and the cause of mould growth is regularly debated by local authorities and private landlords. In the past, there was a view that it came about as a result of lifestyle choices, with the generally accepted view that mould is a result of activities that residents carry out in their home that create excessive moisture. As modern, energy efficient homes have largely become sealed boxes, the amount of natural ventilation is therefore far less. But does it really make sense to put the issue down purely to lifestyle choices, or should local authorities and private landlords be doing more to solve the root cause of the problem? Black mould has been the subject of a recent study by campaigning consultancy Sustainable Homes, an organisation that helps landlords and suppliers to improve the quality and environmental performance of their homes. In association with EnviroVent, Sustainable Homes has revealed its results in the ‘Breaking the Mould - Should landlords be doing more?’ report. This study involved four social landlords in the South East and Midlands, with initial information for the study gathered from a questionnaire sent out to residents, which received 260 completed responses. The study was divided into two parts. Phase 1 took place in the spring of 2017 and Phase 2 over February and March 2018. The questionnaire for residents covered various aspects of air quality, including the incidence of mould in their homes during the recent winter. The responses were then cross-referenced with building data held by these landlords about the homes themselves and also with data from Energy Performance Certificates. The study intended to identify types of buildings where mould would be likely to occur and also to look at the impact of mould on the health of occupants. Phase two involved monitoring the home environment, specifically internal temperature differences and variations in humidity and ventilation rates. The study used a sophisticated information gathering technique to examine over 20 different factors that could contribute to the causes of mould, in order to find which were the most significant. This included the home’s size, its usage - including daytime occupancy and whether pets were present, levels of insulation, age of construction, as well as other factors such as glazing and heating fuels. The factors were then ranked in terms of how much they raised the mould score. The most significant of these was found to be occupant density – the more occupants, the more likely the house was to suffer with mould. In the context of the current housing crisis where there is a shortage of homes of sufficient size for growing families, this factor is outside the control of residents. Poorly installed insulation was another factor, as it meant uneven surface temperatures and the opportunity for condensation to form in cold spots on walls and ceilings. Newer, more energy efficient homes with less temperature fluctuations and better quality insulation were found to be less likely to have mould present, as were homes that had the best loft insulation. Homes that were continuously occupied were found to be at a higher risk of mould. Cold weather was also found to lead to mould growth as heat is conducted through the walls, making the interior cooler, so the dew point is reached more often. HEALTH ISSUES The study found that residents were more likely to experience respiratory issues in homes with mould. In the 139 homes with no mould, the percentage of people with a respiratory condition was 28%. If the mould score was increased by 1.5, then respiratory conditions, such as asthma, rose to 36% of residents and if the mould severity score was above 3.0, it became 63% more likely that the resident living there had a respiratory condition. The report highlighted a need for both landlords and residents to better understand the most practical ways of dealing with condensation in homes and discusses the issues that landlords should be doing more. While residents can take practical action up to a point, it is to the landlords’ advantage to step in sooner, rather than later, with effective remedial measures. One way of reducing condensation and eliminating black mould effectively is to install a whole house ventilation system, like Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) from EnviroVent. A PIV system works by delivering clean, fresh, filtered air into the home from a central position. The unit gently ventilates the property and dilutes high levels of humidity so that condensation and mould cannot form. It also reduces the level of harmful household contaminants, thus improving indoor air quality and creating a healthy all-year-round living environment. UNDERLYING CAUSES OF BLACK MOULD The ‘Breaking the Mould’ research clearly challenges the traditional assumptions about mould in homes being directly linked to resident behaviour. As the study shows, there are underlying causes of black mould, such as occupant density and failed/poor insulation, which are beyond the control of residents. The study encourages social landlords to work proactively to tackle damp and mould. As there was found to be a strong correlation between household size and mould, due to more breathing, showering, clothes washing and cooking taking place this meant effective ventilation systems are required to remove this extra moisture. Social landlords are being challenged to review their mould complaint procedures and to introduce better ventilation into buildings, as well as to improve training for staff to better deal with residents’ complaints about mould. The ‘Breaking the Mould’ report recommends that landlords must review their approach and understand the long-term implications regarding stock management. The report clearly shows that landlords have to be more proactive to prevent mould. For example, this should include staff training, reviews of mould complaint process and better use of ventilation in buildings. The final recommendation was that landlords need to gain a better understanding of residents’ demographics to prioritise space and quality over quantity and to consider tackling fuel poverty and mould together. Some landlords have taken this advice and are already re-thinking their processes and taking a more proactive and preventative approach to improving ventilation across their housing stock. Retrofitting ventilation systems is having a very positive impact on indoor air quality and improving tenant health.” For more information on ventilation solutions from EnviroVent, visit the website www.envirovent.com or call 0345 27 27 807. 6 NOVEMBER 2018, REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS
PROJECTS HVRF offers a perfect blend of comfort and efficiency in luxury apartment conversion When former office space in Trafalgar House was being transformed into stylish apartments, a Hybrid VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) air conditioning system has ensured complete comfort and absolute compliance. Centrally located within the traditional core of Leeds, Trafalgar House has seen some of its former office space transformed into luxury apartments complete with Mitsubishi Electric’s unique Hybrid VRF system. The unique Hybrid VRF system was chosen specifically to ensure Trafalgar House complied with the British and European Standard EN378 (Refrigeration systems and heat pumps - safety and environmental requirements). Abey Air Conditioning were commissioned to install the innovative HVRF system to serve 87 rooms across three floors. The BS EN378 standard limits the usage of refrigerants in buildings in order to minimise potential risk to occupants that could occur from refrigerant leakage. As the rooms in the conversion were designed to have a small footprint, leak detection equipment would have been required if a traditional VRF system had been installed. One of the key advantages in choosing the HVRF solution is its use of water instead of refrigerant in indoor units, therefore removing the need for leak detection equipment. This equates to lower costs, less risks, simplified maintenance and compliance. At the heart of the HVRF system is its Hybrid Branch Controller (HBC), which links the outdoor units to the indoor units. Temperature is exchanged between refrigerant and water via two heat plate exchangers within individual units. Whilst refrigerant is contained to pipework between the HBC and outdoor units, water is circulated by energy efficient inverter pumps to the indoor units. “One of the main challenges when specifying any system is balancing efficiency & legislative requirements with maximum occupant comfort,” explained Michael Abey of Abey Air Conditioning. “The Hybrid VRF system offers the perfect solution. Its simplified two pipe system is easy to install and uses less refrigerant and only water in occupied spaces meaning it is both efficient and compliant. “This modern alternative to traditional methods offers a more comfortable environment as well as high off-coil temperatures, which is important in smaller rooms. Individual rooms are easily controlled by remote controllers offering flexibility and control to occupants.” Controls have an invaluable role to play in creating an energy efficient environment. To enable the whole system to be controlled and monitored from a central location an AE200 controller was installed in Trafalgar House. The AE200 is a state of the art controller and offers easy to use programming and control of temperature, fan speed and airflow. The advanced controller also provides comprehensive energy consumption monitoring and comparisons on previous years offering valuable assistance in energy saving. Trafalgar House is now reaping the benefits of the innovative Hybrid VRF air conditioning system, the advanced technology used ensures the development will be energy efficient and offer maximum occupant comfort now and in the long term. gb.mitsubishielectric.com REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS, NOVEMBER 2018 1
Page 1 and 2: REFURB PROJECTS - THE JOURNAL OF RE
Page 3 and 4: Contents Vol. 29 No.192 November 20
Page 5: A deprived building and local commu
Page 9 and 10: ROOFING SFS flat roofing solutions
Page 11 and 12: Gold award for Nottingham City Home
Page 13 and 14: EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE £10m fund
Page 15 and 16: Hox Haus - for Hox Park EDUCATION I
Page 17 and 18: EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE the old ex
Page 19 and 20: EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE Liverpool
Page 21 and 22: EDUCATION INFRASTUCTURE the buildin
Page 23 and 24: Safer Heating For SEN School EDUCAT
Page 25 and 26: PROJECTS Restoration of Grade II* l
Page 27 and 28: Gilbert-Ash Completes Extended Arno
Page 29 and 30: PROJECTS WRW chooses incentive TEC
Page 31 and 32: Cedar shingles help enhance the sou
Page 33 and 34: Impressive entrance for Council Off
Page 35 and 36: PROJECTS Glendyne restores historic
Page 37 and 38: TV presenter returns to Sherwood to
Page 39 and 40: New development contributes to the
Page 41 and 42: 200 year old warehouse converted to
Page 43 and 44: Millcroft Supports Conservation at
Page 45 and 46: PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY BUYER
Page 47 and 48: PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY BUYER
Page 49 and 50: WOOD AWARDS 2018 STRUCTURAL AWARD T
Page 51 and 52: THE DESOWOOD REPAIR SYSTEM A DURABL

Refurb Projects - November 2018

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?